Composite precious-metal stock



March 5, 1929. FRY 1,704,126

COMPOSITE PRECIOUS METAL STOCK Original Filed Sept. 23, 1924 Maximum wmmm Patented Mar. 5, 1929.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FRANK B. FRY, 0F NEWARK, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO THE H. A. WILSON A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

COMPANY,

COMPOSITE PRECIOUS-METAL STOCK.

Application filed September 23, 1924, Serial No. 739,243. Renewed June 5, 1928.

:This invention is directed to the provision of animproved precious metal stock consisting of platinum mounted on gold, this novel stock being superior to those heretofore employed for similar purposes in that it is readily workable in the processes of making articles of jewelry and in that the gold is of a very good color.

In the manufacture of articles of jewelry, it is quite common to use a composite stock consisting of a sheet of platinum as the surface material secured upon a much heavier backing of gold of a predetermined fineness, usually a degree of fineness specified by the purchaser. This composite stock, as it has been made and sold heretofore, has always been subject to one or the other of two serious objections. Either the gold has been too hard to be readily workable with the usual jewelers tools, or else it has been of a bad color. An excellent white gold can be obtained by the alloying of a sufiicient amount of nickel with the gold, but such an alloy, as heretofore made, is much harder than is desirable, and the operations incident to the manufacture of articles of jewelry therefrom are much more .difiicult. 0n the other hand, if copper be introduced into the gold in a sufficient quantity to produce the desired workability, the product is of a reddish color which is generally considered unsatisfactory. For instance, this compbsite stock having the gold of 14 karat fineness is used in large quantities. This 14 karat gold, as it has been made and sold heretofore, is either too hard by reason of the nickel whose presence gives to the alloy its desired color, or it is of poor color by reason of the copper whose presence makes the alloy readily workable; and it is subject to the further objectionable characteristic that the' gold tarnishes.

The present invention involves the provision of anovel form of stock usable for this purpose, which is free from these objections. In accordance with the invention, the platinum is provided with a backing of gold, made of two or more different pieces, the outer one being of gold of a line color and the inner one or ones being readily workable and of a composition in which color is sacrificed for workability. The inner strip of readily workable gold is preferably of much greater thickness than the outer strip of gold of a fine color which serves merely togive to the composite strip the surface appearance desired on the side opposite the platinum. The two gold strips may be of the same fineness but usually the qualities desired can best be obtained when the inner strip of readily workable gold is ofrelativcly low fineness and the outer strip of gold of a fine color is of relatively high fineness, the two together being of the average fineness desired for the gold of the composite stock. Furthermore, when this outer gold strip is of relatively high fineness, it can readily be made of a composition which, in addition to having fine color, is not subject to tarnishing. These strips of gold and the strip of platinum are firmly united side by side in any suitable manner and form a composite stock in which the fineness of the gold, that is,,the average fineness of the gold in the several strips employed, is the fineness desired, and which is readily workable because the major portion of the gold in the composite stock is of a composition selected for I workability.

As a specific instance, there is a considerable demand for such composite stock having gold of 14; karat fineness. Such a stock may be made by uniting the platinum strip to a relatively thick strip of gold of 13 karat fineness which is readily workable with jewelers tools by reason of its large copper content, and uniting this relatively thick gold strip of 13 karat fineness to a relatively thin strip of gold of 20 karat fineness of such a composition that it will not tarnish and has a beautiful color. Such a composite stock presents a beautiful apeparance because of the platinum on one face and the beautiful white gold on the other, but it is readily workable because the great bulk of the interior of the stock consists of readily workable gold, workable by reason of the presence of a relatively large amount of copper at somewhat of a sacrifice of color.

The three parts above referred to as constituting the composite stock must be secured together side by side rigidly so that they form a single homogeneous piece. This may be done by any suitable method and apparatus for welding or fusing the pieces together.

, In some instances I find it desirable to introduce a third gold strip between the platinum and the two strips of gold above als may be secured-by the provision of asu'pply of platinum united to gold in the form of a strip and drawing this strip to such a size as would be required in filling ordersfor the composite stock. Also, it is sometimes desirable to place next to the platinum a strip of gold of a composition specially selected for its color and non-tarnishing char acteristic as cavities or grooves made to receive jewels may extend to a greater depth than the thickness of the platinum. In such instances, the finished stock would consist of one platinum and three gold strips secured together side by side, the average fineness of the three gold strips being the fineness required for the gold in the composite stock, and the outer gold strip being thin and of fine color while the gold strip next to it is relatively thick and of good workability.

This novel stock is illustrated diagrammatically in the. accompanying drawing in which A represents the thin strip of platinum forming the surface material of the stock and secured by a thin strip B of gold of low fineness to a backing consisting of a relatively thick strip C of gold which is readily workable, and a relatively thin strip D of gold which presents an attractive appearance, the three gold parts B,.O and D averaging a certain predetermined fineness. The relatively thick interior strip C is of a fineness belowthe average for the three parts B, C and D and is readily workable by reason of its large copper content and the surface'strip D of the backing is of a fineness considerably above the average of the three old parts B, C and D, this strip 1) being w ite gold of attractive appearance,

. in which attractive appearance is secured at the expense of workability because it is the surface material of the composite strip and because it is small in amount compared to the part 0.

For instance, the strip of platinum A may be secured to a strip B of gold of 13 karat fineness. This strip is secured to the relatively thick strip C which is of 13 karat fineness and of such a composition that it may be'readily worked. This strip C is in turn secured to the strip D which is of 20 karat fineness and of fine color. The thickness of each of these three parts B, C and D is so" gauged by reference to its fineness that the average fineness of all of the gold in the composite stock is 14 karat. These figures, of course, are merely typical; any desired average fineness can be produced and various combinations can be employed in producing it.

I I claim:

. 1. A composite precious metal stock presenting a large surface of platinum on one side and comprising a plurality of strips.

one of the two outer strips being platinum and relatively thin and two other strips being of gold, the outer gold strip being a non-tarnishing white gold and the inner gold strip being a readily workable gold.

2. A composite precious metal stock presenting a large surface of platinum on one sideand comprising three strips joined rigidly together in successive layers, one of the two outer strips being platinum and relatively thin and two other strips being of gold, the outer gold strip being relatively thin and a white gold of good color and the inner gold strip being relatively thick and a readily workable gold.

3. A composite precious metal stock presenting a large surface of platiniim on one side and comprising three strips joined rigidly together in successive layers, one of the two outer strips being of platinum and relatively thln, andtwo other strips being of gold of a predetermined average fineness, the outer gold strip being relatively thin and a white gold of a fineness above said average, and the inner gold strip being relatively thick and a readily workable gold of a fineness-below said average.

4. A composite precious metal stock presenting a' large surface of platinum'on one side, said stock comprising a relatively thin strip-of platinum, a relatively thick strip of gold of a fineness which is below the average fineness of all the gold in thelcomposite strip, and a relatively thin strip of gold of a fineness which is above said average, the three strips being secured rigidly together side by side in successive layers with the thick strip of low grade gold between the other two strips. I

5. A composite precious metal stock present-ing a large surface of platinum on one side and comprising three strips joined rigidly together in successive layers, one of the two outer strips being of platinum and relatively thin, and the other two strips being of gold of an average fineness of sub -stantially'14.- karats, the outer gold strip being relatively thin and a white gold of substantially 20 karat fineness and the inner gold strip being relatively thick and readily workable gold of substantially 13 karat fineness. v

- 6. A composite precious metal stock pre-- senting a large surface of platinum on one side and comprising a plurality of strips joined rigidly together in successive layers,

one of the outer strips being of platinum 7. A composite precious metal stock presentingsa large surface of platinum on one side and comprising a plurality of strips joined rigidly together in successive layers, one of the outer strips being of platinum and relatively thin and the other strips being of gold, the outer gold strip being relatively thin and a white gold 01' good color, one of the inner gold strips being relatively thick and a readily workable gold, and another inner gold strip being relatively thin and positioned between the platinum strip and said inner gold strip. 8. A composite precious metal stock presenting a large surface of platinum on one side and comprising a plurality of strips joined rigidly together in successive layers, one of the outer strips being of platinum and relatively thin, and the other strips belarge surface of platinum on one side and comprising a plurality of strips joined rigidly together in successive layers, one of the outer strips being of platinum and relatively 'thin, and the other strips being of gold of a predetermined average fineness, the outer gold strip being relatively thin and a white gold of substantially karat fineness, one of the inner gold strips being relatively thick and a readily workable gold of substantially 13 karat fineness, and another inner gold strip being relatively thin and positioned between the platinum strip and said inner thick gold strip.

10. A composite precious metal stock presenting a large surface of platinum on one side and comprising a plurality of strips joined rigidly together in successive layers, one of the outer strips being of platinum and relatively thin, the other outer strip being of non-tarnishing white gold, one of the inner strips being of gold which is readily workable, and another inner strip being a non-tarnishing white gold strip positioned between the strip of platinum and the said inner gold strip.

In testimony whereof ll ture.

afliX my signa FRANK B. FRY. 

